Trojans Remain Unscathed in OVC as Little Rock Dispatches of Southeast Missouri

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Sali Kourouma erupted for a season-high 30 points and Little Rock's suffocating defense turned 28 Southeast Missouri turnovers in to 33 points as the Trojans easily dispatched of the Redhawks, 65-45, Saturday afternoon at the Jack Stephens Center.
 
The win, Little Rock's fourth in a row, kept the Trojans (7-8, 4-0) unscathed in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Trojans scored 33 points off turnovers thanks to forcing 28 SEMO miscues, both of which marked season highs.
 
Kourouma cruised to 16 points at halftime and continued the scoring after intermission, becoming just the fifth OVC player to reach the 30-point plateau this season. Angelique Francis added 13 points for the Trojans.
 
Southeast Missouri (5-10, 0-4) became the sixth Little Rock opponent to be limited to under 50 points this season as the Redhawks were held to less than 31% (16-for-52) shooting from the field. Jaliyah Green led SEMO with 13 points, but she also was one of three players with a team-high five turnovers. The Trojans are now holding opponents to just 56.1 points per game this season, a mark that would set an Ohio Valley Conference record if the season ended today.
 
Little Rock jumped on the Redhawks from the start with Kourouma responsible for the 5-0 start. SEMO would tie it at 7-7 but Kourouma's fast-break layup would break the tie and give the Trojans a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Shooting nearly 62% (8-for-13) in the first quarter, Little Rock had a 17-8 lead at the first break thanks to a defensive effort that held SEMO to just one point over the final five minutes of the period.
 
Little Rock expanded its 11-point halftime lead in the third quarter, going on an 11-0 run at one point and out-scoring the visiting Redhawks 20-9 in the quarter.
 
The Maroon and Silver tallied a season-high 12 steals in the contest with seven different players recording a swipe. Jaiyah Harris-Smith, who recorded a game-high three steals, also dished out a game-high seven assists. Nikki Metcalfe tallied three of Little Rock's five blocks.
 
Tied with Eastern Illinois (12-3, 4-0) atop the OVC standings, Little Rock hits the road next week with a Thursday contest at Southern Indiana (7-7, 1-2) before the showdown in Charleston with EIU on Saturday.   
 
For the latest information on Little Rock Basketball, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWBB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 
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